1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to surgical needles and, more particularly, to a surgical needle and method particularly suited for use in limited space applications, such as cardiovascular, vascular and microvascular surgery.
2. Background of the Art
Various shapes and styles of surgical needles have been developed for use with specific suturing procedures. The needle configurations may vary according to the type of tissue to be sutured and the manner of manipulating the needle during suturing. For example, one such needle used for suturing deep fascia tissue is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,728 to Kim. The needles in accordance with the '728 patent have an arcuate body with a pointed tip. The body forms an arc of approximately 180° to 230° and is joined to a relatively straight shank by a gently curving arcuate neck.
Another specific needle configuration is disclosed in European Patent Application No. 0494644 A2. The needles disclosed in this application are for use in abdominal surgery. One embodiment includes a straight section which bends downwardly at approximately 22° and then curves upwardly with a radius of 5/12ths of the overall length of the needle.
A further type of surgical needle configuration, referred to as a “sickle needle,” is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,164. The surgical needle disclosed in the '164 patent includes an arcuate portion and a shank portion connected thereto. There is an abrupt angle between these two portions and the angle is between 30° and 70°. This type of needle may be used when a surgeon has limited space in which to work, such as cardiovascular, vascular and microvascular surgery.
In performing cardiovascular, vascular and microvascular surgery, it is often necessary to join two hollow organ or vascular tissue sections together. This is most often accomplished by suturing opposing edges of the vascular tissue sections together. Rather than using a sickle needle, surgeons may use a needle having a substantially constant radius to suture such edges together. Most often the arc of the needle has a pointed tip at one end and a tail portion at an opposite end which is drilled to retain an end of a length of suture material therein.
In order to suture two opposing vascular tissue sections together with prior art surgical needles of the type described above with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,728 and European Patent Application No. 0494644 A2, the suturing needle is typically held near its tail portion by a needle holder and rotated about the center of its radius through the tissue sections to be joined. For example, in order to suture two vascular tissue sections together, the two vascular tissue sections are approximated and the surgical needle having a length of suture attached thereto is rotated to cause the pointed tip to pierce through an outer wall of a first vascular tissue section and into its lumen. The needle is then further rotated to move the pointed tip of the needle through a lumen of the second vascular tissue section and out through an outer wall of the second vascular tissue section. Once the pointed tip has penetrated through the wall of the second vascular tissue section, the pointed tip is grasped with a needle holder and the tail portion is released.
In order to draw the length of suture through the two vascular tissue sections and remove the needle from the vascular tissue sections, it is necessary to continue to rotate the surgical needle further in approximately a half-circle drawing the suture material through the tissue sections. Since during the entire surgical procedure the needle must be rotated through approximately a complete circle, an operating space having a height more than half of the radius of the needle must be available adjacent the accessed vascular tissue sections.
When a surgeon is performing cardiovascular, vascular and microvascular surgical procedures, a very limited amount of space adjacent the accessed tissue sections is available for manipulation of the surgical needle. There exists a need for a cardiovascular, vascular and microvascular surgical suturing needle configured to be manipulated within a limited space.